Q-Tips and Ear Canals

[Vigaku]

I know the two medically don't go together, not only due to the swab's ability to further clog in ear wax, but the more dangerous thing (damage to ear drum).

You see, for years I have been cleaning my ears out with q-tips wet with hot water, so I've been wax-free for that time. The worst thing I get in my canals nowadays is some sweat, which gets cleaned daily by the q-tips. There might be a build-up of a wax plug all the way down in there (that I think is the ear drum area) but I doubt it, since IIRC wax build-ups would be caused by dry methods, e.g. not wetting the ear swabs, but I run down water into my ears during showers and use wet q-tips only, so I doubt I have this. In fact, the last time an plug of wax ever came out of me was like 10-15 years ago...

My greatest fear, and the reason for this topic, is that at one point something may happen to cause the ear swab to be jabbed in farther than it should go...pushing the ear drum back/damaging it (like someone accidentally bumping into you, or you getting startled by a flying insect while you're q-tipping). I can see how something narrow and sharp can put a hole in the drum, but something as big and blunt as a q-tip...well that's the size of the eardrum itself. It could push it back or (if it's tightly attached to its surrounding flesh) it would then only tear, and of course cause hearing loss to a degree.

I could just stop using q-tips, but it'll drive me mad, since almost daily I get the urge of releaving that itch in the ear canal with a wet hot q-tip (what some online call an "eargasm"). It's about as bad as the urge I get to scratch my hair temples with my comb.

So, if I'm able to get something to relieve that urge to itch my canals, that would be great. I was wondering if anyone here had an idea :dunno:? All I know of so far are wax disolvers or hydrogen peroxide solutions for the ear, but I'm not sure what can relieve my urge to itch in them.

You know, I think this problem would be solved if only they made q-tips where you can't insert them farther than a certain point, so instead of it being one long swab, it would have a disc or something in the middle to stop it in its tracks once it just about reaches the ear drum, since your outer ear would stop the disc (part of the swab stick) from going further.
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So any advice on relieving ear canal itch would be greatly appreciated...

 

[Bryan]

...There might be a build-up of a wax plug all the way down in there (that I think is the ear drum area) but I doubt it, since IIRC wax build-ups would be caused by dry methods, e.g. not wetting the ear swabs, but I run down water into my ears during showers and use wet q-tips only, so I doubt I have this. In fact, the last time an plug of wax ever came out of me was like 10-15 years ago...

What you say about "dry methods" puzzles me greatly; all I've used most of my life are perfectly DRY q-tips. I don't know how you can get your ear canals completely clean, by using wet cotton. Must make it considerably more difficult!

 

[optimus prime]

My friend went to an ear doctor (I am sure that is their medical name ) and she said never put cotton buds in your ear.

 

[Vigaku]

Bryan, I wet the tips to wipe the sweat off better (hot water increases the effectiveness) but I use a dry one then to leave the canals dry.

 

[Bryan]

My friend went to an ear doctor (I am sure that is their medical name ) and she said never put cotton buds in your ear.

Did she say specifically why not to do that? :dunno: I've been doing that all my life, and I've never had a problem; I don't recall ever EVER having the cotton come off and get lodged in the ear canal (assuming that that was her point).

 

[Bryan]

Bryan, I wet the tips to wipe the sweat off better (hot water increases the effectiveness) but I use a dry one then to leave the canals dry.

Sweat in the inner ear is the very LAST thing I ever worry about! Getting rid of the wax is the big problem, and I think using dry cotton is the better way to do it.

 

[Bryan]

google ear candles...used them in the past and felt better (and cleaner) for the experience...

That's exactly what I did: I read the Wikipedia article on "ear-candling", which was very amusing. I suggest that YOU read it, too, although you're not going to like what people say about it! :shock:

 

[optimus prime]

I believe she said that they are too small and she has had many patients who pushed them too deep into their ears. She also said that they push the wax deeper into the ear making the situation worse. Her advice was to let the wax drop naturally and then wash it out - but I can't remember what she advised to use to wash it out.

 

[optimus prime]

google ear candles...used them in the past and felt better (and cleaner) for the experience...

That's exactly what I did: I read the Wikipedia article on "ear-candling", which was very amusing. I suggest that YOU read it, too, although you're not going to like what people say about it! :shock:

I heard this was dangerous as well. lol.

Maybe I am a wimp when it comes to these sort of things, I don't like touching eyes and ears much. For example, I could never put on a contact lens.

 

[Bryan]

I believe she said that they are too small and she has had many patients who pushed them too deep into their ears. She also said that they push the wax deeper into the ear making the situation worse. Her advice was to let the wax drop naturally and then wash it out - but I can't remember what she advised to use to wash it out.

I think this is a perfect example of doctors not bothering to practice what they preach; they all warn us not to stick Q-Tips into our ears, but there's no doubt in my mind at all that that's how THEY clean their OWN ears, too! :mrgreen:

I think it's safe, as long as one uses a little common sense: insert it very carefully and cautiously, without pushing on it too hard. Don't scrape or tear the thin skin in your ear canal. Always err on the side of caution!